Love in the Ruins
by Mansi jain
Summary: Draco meets a green-eyed girl called Harriet in an abandoned, broken house in the Godric's Hollow. He doesn't know that she's Harriet Potter, the eldest daughter of James and Lily Potter who died and was buried long ago. Belatedly, he realizes that no-one else had ever seen her in that house except him.
1. Chapter 1 Following my heart

_**Title: Love in the Ruins**_

 _ **Summary: Petunia threw little Harry in Lily's ruined home in Godric's Hollow as soon as she turned five. Draco meets Harry there when he returns home after his second year and falls in love with her. Female Harry Potter. Fem HP/DM. Alternate Universe. Harry doesn't attend Hogwarts.**_

 ** _Chapter-1_**

 ** _Following my heart_**

 **Draco**

I am thirteen years old, about to join Hogwarts for my third year. In the village of Godric's Hollow, there is a cottage. It is completely ruined.

I have been meeting a green eyed girl in these ruins for the past four months now. She says that she is thirteen too. She is always in a short skirt and a shirt. I think that she has two or three pairs only because she keeps on repeating them. She is really very beautiful. I don't know as to where she really lives, here in this ruined house or perhaps somewhere else. But here is where I meet her every day. She wears these round glasses which hide her green eyes.

I did ask her to get the glasses removed but she dismissed it, saying that she didn't have enough money. I bring food for her. She is much too slim. Her name is Elisa Potter. She says that she doesn't know her real name. She only knows that she is a Potter. She gave this name to herself. As far as she remembers, she has nothing except this ruined house. I have heard this surname before but I don't really know who it belonged to.

I don't know how she lives because this house has nothing. I bring enough food to last her at-least till the next day. She says that she does some of this and some of that to earn her bread and butter. Little things that provide some water and a bit of food for her. When I had started bringing food for her, I noticed that she ate it ravenously. So I started bringing more for her. I can't cast warming spells on the food since I don't even know if she is a witch or not. I wonder if she knows. She is really very talkative and laughs too much. Sometimes, when I look at her, my heart clenches. She has dark circles beneath her eyes and is practically a bag of bones. Her cheeks are sunken. She is malnourished and still she smiles so beautifully.

I taught her some things like maths and how to write properly. She says that she has never been to a proper school. She didn't have money to pay the fees. Sometimes when teachers allowed her, she would hide under a chair or sit on the floor at the back of the classroom and study.

I don't know when but somewhere along the line, I fell in love with her.

She is very kind. She likes helping stray animals.

Today- today, I am going to tell her that I love her. I don't know whether I will ever meet her again. So I need her to know. I wonder if everything will just end after today. Even the thought of not being able to meet her again is unbearable. I like spending time with her. When I am with her the time just flies away. I don't even notice when an hour passes and I have to return home.

My parents are not kind people. Father is a death eater. He worshiped a monster. I couldn't tell him about her. She seems too vulnerable, too soft-hearted. I- I just love her so much. Headmaster Dumbledore says that love is the greatest and most powerful magic.

But then why- why did she not come today. I have been waiting for an hour now. I have to leave tomorrow. She always comes. Then again, she doesn't _have_ to come. Maybe she doesn't live here after all. Sometimes, I imagine myself living with her in this house. This house is beautiful and we are standing on the balcony while a couple of small children play in the garden below. We are not kids in the dream. We are old. The dream is beautiful and the reality is unbearable.

I cast nox and search the whole house desperately for her. But she is no-where. Why didn't she come? Where is she?

There is a lump in my throat and my eyes are welling. It's pathetic that I am crying because boys don't cry but I can't stop myself. I really wanted to tell her that I love her. Why did she have to be late today? Has she eaten anything at all? Has she slept at all?

At-least father and mother love me. There is no-one who loves her except me. She should at-least know that _I_ love her. But where is she?

I can't come back tomorrow. I will be at Hogwarts.

I place the food on a table which is partly broken and cast one last glance at the empty room. The cottage must have been beautiful once upon a time. An image flashes in front of me. I am sitting on a couch in front of the fireplace and she is sleeping in my lap as I stroke her hair. She is not looking tired or malnourished or homeless.

But the image vanishes and I stare at the ruined house once again.

I wait some more but she doesn't come.

I leave the house, hoping that at-least she will eat the food I left for her. She is really too thin.

XXXX

The day passed in a blur and here I am standing in front of the train, about to leave for my third year. There is noise all around me and mother and father are trying to get me to talk. But there is a lump in my throat which is not letting me speak.

"Draco, the train will leave in about five minutes. Are you going to tell us what the matter is?" Father mutters and I want to snap at him. I wish that he wasn't a death eater and I had been able to bring my Elisa home. Father hates muggles and I don't know if Elisa is a witch or not. I don't want him to hurt her.

My eyes are wet and I look at him.

"Draco." Mother and father gape at me.

"Draco, what's the matter?" Father asks me and I turn around before running away. I don't even know where I am running until I literally bump into someone.

"Ouch. Malfoy, you git. Watch where you are going." It's Weasley. I really dislike the redhead. Usually, I snap back at him. But today, I just don't want to. So I get up and don't look at Weasley. I just start walking.

"Oi Malfoy. Wait." He calls me and I stop before looking at him with troubled eyes.

"Ron, come one. You will get late." His mother calls him but he keeps on staring at me in shock. It's understandable because I don't cry. I hate crying.

From a bit of distance, I notice my father and mother walking towards me, their eyes furious.

"Why are you crying Malfoy?" Weasley asks me and I don't know why but I blurt out, "I don't want to go to Hogwarts. I don't want to leave her alone and I don't why I am telling all this to you Weasley when you are such a bloody bigoted bastard."

Weasley stares at me, his jaw agape.

"It's easy for you to wander around with Granger all over the school. Your parents are not preparing you to get married to some bloody pureblood girl and spout pureblood babies or to become a bloody beast worshiper. I-"

"Malfoy- Malfoy, wait." Weasley exclaims and looks beyond me before looking again at me and muttering, "You just made a big scene, you see. Never thought that you had balls to do so Malfoy, that too in front of daddy. Just because of this, I'll give you a tip. Go and tell them that you don't want to leave. But then you have always been a coward. You don't have balls to follow your heart Malfoy. Daddy's little puppet. Awwww pooor pooooor puppet."

I stare at him as he claps my back and leaves, calling loudly, "And another thing Malfoy- I am not a bigot."

I look at him. He is gazing at me through the windows, waiting for me to loose my courage and step inside the train.

"Draco, go inside. The train is about to leave." Father hisses. I ignore him, glaring at Weasley.

I am not a coward.

"Draco." Mother presses, her hand on my shoulder and I shake my head, "I don't want to go to Hogwarts."

"You can't do that. You _have_ to go." Father almost yells at me and I whirl around, glaring venomously at him, "Why- to keep an eye on our headmaster Dumbledore for you. I won't take any part in your bloody schemes. I won't worship a monster."

"DRACO." Father screams and everybody stares at us as he lifts his hand to slap me. Mother beats him to it. Her hand hits my cheek before his does and aches more than his would have. Despite the fact that she is as bad as father, I love her.

"Why didn't you go? Is this connected to your long evening walks Draco?" Mother whispers furiously and I stare at her.

"You really thought that I won't notice. You-" She says and I cut her off, "I can't leave her alone. She has no home- no-one to live with. She lives in ruins and has nothing to eat."

"You will not befriend some homeless begger Draco." Father mutters rather coldly and my blood boils.

"I am pretending that you didn't say it father. Just- I am not joining Hogwarts and I don't care what you think."

"This is no place to have this discussion Draco. We should-" Mother starts but I shake my head. I had come prepared for every circumstance. I take hold of my trunks and close my eyes, concentrating on the ruined house. I don't know what I will do there. I have no source of income. I am still studying. I must complete my education. Elisa should study as well. But I know that if I return home, no-one will let me meet Elisa. Mother won't want me to befriend a homeless girl. She would send me away.

I cast a last glance at my parents. Their eyes are stunned as I disappear right in front of them.

XXXX


	2. Chapter 2 False Family

_Chapter-2_

 _False Family_

Harry

I had not eaten the food he had left. It had been a way to punish myself for keeping him waiting. He has been visiting me for four months now. There is no-one to keep me company in this broken house. That's all mum and dad left for me. They dumped me at my aunt's and Petunia had dumped me in these ruins when I had been just five because I was a freak. I would make things appear and disappear and when she won't give me food, I would will it to fly towards me.

I was only five so I would wander out and steal food for the first few years. Then I found some galleons hidden in some wardrobes and I used them. But then they finished too so I started doing odd jobs to just buy some water and a little food.

I had been alone then so I had not known what it was to have someone who really cares for you. Then Draco came along four months ago. I was sleeping on the porch and he saw me. He asked me as to why I was sleeping in these ruins. I didn't answer him. So he just sat with me and we talked. He has been meeting me since then. Then two days ago, he told me that he was leaving for his boarding school.

I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving. I couldn't say goodbye to him. So I went out when he was about to come. Maybe I shouldn't have. I am already missing him. Yesterday night it had been a bit easier because I had been much too tired. I had just gone to sleep. But now I am awake and hungry and I miss him so much.

Desperately, I reach for the food that he had left for me. I have not eaten anything since yesterday morning. I had willed the food to stay warm. The house is completely destroyed and the kitchen is empty except a few utensils here and there.

I never bothered to clean it up... had nothing to clean it with.

Today, he has brought soup, vegetables, curry, rice and cake for me. He ensures to bring vegetables. He says that I am very thin and that I need to eat vegetables.

I sob when I look at the food and tears stream down my eyes. He will never come again.

I reach for the food and started gobbling it. I am so hungry. I wish he were there with me. He would ask me to eat slowly and rub my back a bit when something would get stuck in my throat.

Sobbing, I try to eat rice and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Eat slowly." I freeze when I hear these words because the voice belongs to him. How is this possible... perhaps it's only my wishful thinking. I start eating again, as fast as I can.

"Eat slowly. Food is not running away."

Finally, I lift my wet eyes and when I find him really standing in front of me, the plate almost drops from my hands.

He places the plate beside me and I stand up, hiccuping as tears stream down my cheeks.

His eyes are silver and concerned as he asks, "Why are you crying? You didn't even see me off yesterday. I waited for you."

I wipe my eyes from the back of my hand and try to will my tears away. But they won't stop.

"I didn't want to say goodbye. I didn't - don't want you to go. I have no-one else." I mutter and suddenly I can't stop. I start crying because I really don't want him to leave. There is no-one else.

I wrap my arms around him and he freezes as I murmur, "Please don't leave. There is no-one else. Please. I don't want to be alone again."

I sob on his shoulders as he wraps his arms slowly around me.

"I love you." He blurts out very suddenly and I choke. Shocked, I start coughing and he murmurs, "I was on the station today but I ran away. I brought my things. I am not going away. I wanted to tell you yesterday. But you didn't come."

I stare at the broken door of my house.

"You are lying. No one loves me." I whisper sadly.

"I do." He says. My eyes fall on his trunk and I pull back before wiping my eyes.

He removes my hands and wipes my cheeks.

"How will you complete your education?" I ask him, wondering how he will manage. I am used to all of this but he isn't.

He just shrugs, muttering, "Didn't think about it. Come on eat your food."

But then he stops. I follow his eyes and notice him looking at the soup. It's still boiling.

"I can do magic too." I whisper in a small voice. I had seen him to do something with a stick once.

"I don't have a stick though. I just do it with my hands." I whisper and he stares at me as I spread my hands on front of him.

"I won't do it if you don't want me to. Please don't leave me." I blurt out, my eyes welling again as I continue, "I am tired of living alone in this broken house."

My voice breaks as I look around.

"There is no one to talk, no one to play with. No one who cares for me."

"I will never leave again." He whispers and sits down on the stairs before, "Come on. Eat your food. You are really very thin."

"I have brought some money with me and some things to clean this house. We can use magic to repair things. I will teach you. What I use is called a wand." He says while I eat.

"Will you tell me how to do magic without a wand, Elisa. If I hear my wand, they will trace my magic and find me." He murmurs.

"My name is Harry Potter. It's not Elisa." I say and he stares at me before muttering incredulously, "Why would you lie about your name?"

"It's a stupid name." I complain and he smiles at me, "No it's a nice name. I baked the cake you know. Dobby, my elf taught me."

I smile and reach for the cake.,"Who is an elf?"

"Finish your vegetables first. I will tell you everything." He murmurs and I pout at him. He shakes his head and mutters, "Eat them."

Glaring at him, I start eating.

XXXX

"Harry." He calls. We have repaired the dining table and the chairs. I taught him how to do magic without a wand. Initially, he couldn't do it.

But then he tried and now he can. He says that we don't need a wand if we can do magic with our hands.

Right now we are sitting in the master bedroom. We repaired the bed and the couches here.

"Yes." I reply.

"Where are your parents? Are they dead?" He asks. I sigh and look out of the window. It's quite late. We had eaten a bit of corn he had brought from his home for lunch. We had eaten a little so that we could save it for later.

"They are alive. They left me at my aunt's house when I was a baby and my aunt left me here when I turned five." I reply.

"Why did they abandon you? Did you ever find out?" He asks. I don't look at him. There has never been any one with whom I could talk about this.

"No. This is my old house. I lived here with them when I was a baby. I don't remember any thing else." I reply blankly, "I don't have any one. No family. Everyone abandons me. I am too much of a pain."

"Look at me." He says and I turn towards him sadly.

"You are not a pain and I will never leave you. What is your father's name though?"

I keep on looking at him silently.

Just when he is sure that I won't answer, I reply, "James Potter and Lily Evans Potter. They are my parents. Have you heard of them."

He stares at me, his eyes wide and shocked, "Of course. Now I remember. Mum told me that they left for France after the dark lord's disappearance. No body knows what happened that night - oh oh merlin - this is the house where it happened. Everyone except my godfather and Sirius and perhaps professor Lupin think that they have only one son. He says that they have a daughter too and - oh you are that Harry Potter. They have been searching you. Sirius is your godfather. You have a family. You -"

I cut him off and sit down on the couch before murmuring, "I don't want to meet them now. I don't care."

"Are you sure? You will have your godfather and a house and you can go to Hogwarts."

"I don't want to go to that school or live with them." I say and he sits down on the couch right in front of me.

"Okay. Let's sleep for a while. We will study a bit when we get up. I brought books of my first and second year too for you." He says and I hum before closing my eyes.

XXXX

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	3. Chapter 3 The second escape

**_Chapter-3_**

 ** _The second Escape_**

"You lost him. What do you exactly mean by that Lucius? How can you loose Draco?" Severus asks Lucius who is sitting in front of him with Narcissa beside him.

"He just apparated away. I noticed some money was missing from my wardrobe and Narcissa's as well. There is someone he has been meeting for the past few months. He said that she doesn't have any family or anything to eat or drink and that he doesn't want her to live alone." Lucius mutters, his back stiff and his eyes annoyed.

"You have to do something Severus. Find my son." Narcissa murmurs after leaning forward, her hands on the table.

"So that you can make him a junior death eater. He will make a life for himself." Severus lies. Of course he won't let his godson just disappear. He knows a way to find Draco and he will find him. It won't take more than ten minutes but he won't let Lucius do this to Draco.

"He is my son and-"

"He is my godson. I can sue you for his custody, claiming that you are trying to turn him into a death eater." Severus mutters, leaning backward, his arms crossed. He is looking calmly at Lucius.

"This means that you can find him." Lucius murmurs, his body still and his eyes sharp.

"That is not your concern. Please leave my office." Severus mutters and waits for either of them to say that they don't want Draco to become a death eater. They don't. The dark lord is still at large. He is searching for Harry Potter. So is Severus along with Black and Lupin. Albus is trying to locate the girl as well. In fact Potter has been searching for the girl too.

Now that Draco is out of danger's way, he could just locate the boy and ensure that he is safe. He wants to finish the dark lord by himself. After that he will begin his search for Harry again.

He has tried everything to make Petunia spit out as to what she had done to Harry. The woman refuses to say anything except that Harry is alive.

He taps his table a few times and then stands up to retreat to his lab.

"Severus." He hears as he walks in. Without replying, he walks in.

"How will you find Draco?" Lupin continues, his figure frozen on the entryway. Severus ignores him and opens his closet to find out the locator potion. It's his own invention. He has been selling it to the ministry for some years now.

Lupin walks forward and sits on a chair.

Severus opens the vial in which he had kept a strand of Draco's hair and drops it inside the potion.

The trouble is that Draco is just thirteen years old. Had he been a bit older, Severus won't have been worried. The child has nowhere else to live and he has no relatives.

Severus places the potion on the table in front of Lupin. A few seconds later, a bubble emerges out of the potion. Slowly, it enlarges and a cottage appears in it. Severus stares in shock.

"But, how is this possible?" Lupin murmurs, his eyes wide and startled.

"He is in Lily's old house. What is he doing there. Last I went there, it was empty and nothing was in a working condition. How does he even know about that house?" Severus stares at the cottage in the bubble. Draco is pointing his hands towards the dirty stairs and concentrating hard. A girl who looks Draco's age is standing beside him, her hair curly and long. She is thin and is saying something, her hands pointing animatedly towards the stairs.

"Severus, who is this girl? I visited the cottage a month back. No-one had been there. Everything had seemed untouched." Lupin murmurs and Severus looks at the girl with narrowed eyes, wishing that she would turn around.

"Do you think that-" Lupin mutters and just then the girl turns around and Severus shoots up from his chair, staring at the girl. She has green eyes, Lily's green eyes.

Lupin gasps and leans forward before whispering, amazed, "Harry... she is in Godric's Hollow. But- but I visited so many times. She wasn't there."

"Perhaps she doesn't want to be found. Lucius was talking about some homeless girl whom Draco has befriended and that he fled from the station because he didn't want her to be alone. I had never even imagined that she could be Harry." Severus whispers and stares at Lupin when the bubble disappears.

As if on cue, Black comes in, his eyes tired and Lupin fills the man in while Severus freshens up. He will have to pay a visit to the kids after all. What is Draco thinking. He is thirteen not thirty. How will he take care of himself as well as Harry.

"Come on. We are going." Severus mutters blankly and walks out of his office. Lupin and Black follow him, talking about Harry. He wonders how Lily will react when she realizes that Severus has found Harry, not that she is in a condition to understand anything or even respond properly to anything he says. Potter has been searching for Harry for years now.

One thing is decided though. He will not let Potter take Harry. The man has no right to have her custody after how he abandoned his daughter and drove Lily to insanity.

XXXX

Draco

"It doesn't work. I tried to repair it." Harry mutters.

"What is this?" I ask the girl, staring at the broken contraption in surprise.

"It's called a microwave. It's used to heat things up and bake cakes." Harry answers. We stand there, staring at the contraption.

"What should we do with it?" I ask. We have cleaned the house now. It looks clean and nice and just the kitchen is left.

"Just vanish it." She whispers and points her hands towards it before focusing hard on it. The contraption vanishes and so do other contraptions. Everything is broken and there is no point of storing old, broken things that we don't even need now.

"Done." She whispers and turns towards me. She looks a bit healthy now. I had brought some cooked vegetables with myself. I had brought money too and some fruits.

"What are you thinking?" She asks him, her eyes studying me.

"The food I had brought has finished. I couldn't take more. I have money but other than that, I don't have much." I mutter, my eyebrows creased. She looks at me for a few moments before replying, "You could just go back."

She looks unhappy at the thought. I know that she doesn't want me to go. I had already known that she didn't have any friends.

"Really. You keep on asking me to leave. Should I go away?" I mutter, my lips pinched together.

She opens her mouth to say something, her eyes wide but I turn around and walk towards the door, murmuring, "I am leaving. Apparently, you don't want me to stay here."

"No no no no. Draco, don't leave. I will get bored without you." She runs towards me, mumbling softly.

I snicker before swirling around, "So I am here to entertain you."

"No." She shakes her head, her eyes elated as she mumbles, "You are my best friend." I breathe hard and stare at her. She doesn't know that her words really mean so much to me. I have never had a best friend. I have not even had a true friend.

I am only thirteen and it seems silly to think so but I want her to always stay my best friend.

"I go to teach a few kids. I teach maths to them." She whispers, her hands at her back and her eyes on her shoes. I stare. She had said that she doesn't know maths.

"But you said-" I start and she cuts me off, her voice small and soft, "I liked it when you taught me. I make some money by teaching them and sometimes I make paintings and sell them for some money. I don't like stealing."

I don't understand why she doesn't eat then.

"Why don't you eat properly then?" I ask. She looks at me before replying, "I save money so that I have it when I really really need it. I keep it in the wardrobe of my room."

"You have to stop lying to me now." I mutter seriously and she stares at me, her teeth biting her lower lip nervously.

"I won't lie now. I promise." She murmurs and I smile at her. She smiles back and we walk inside.

HARRY

Two days pass in the same manner. I go to teach the kids and now Draco comes with mr. He teaches French to them. I like living with him. It's fun. He is my best friend and it's nice to have someone who doesn't bully me and who cares about me.

Sunlight streams inside and I sit up, rubbing my eyes. He hates waking up early. I have always been an early riser. We had split the bed that is in my room into two parts. I took the one beside the window.

I stare outside the window. Sometimes, I wonder why my parents had abandoned me. It's not like no-one visits this house. They come sometimes. One of them is stern looking and has dark eyes. One has warm eyes and the third one is always sad. I flee away from the house when they visit. One day dad had visited too. I had hidden in a corner and watched him.

I don't want to go with them. What's the point. They had abandoned me. It meant that they had never needed me. I don't need them now. I have survived so far and I will live somehow.

I know that I have a brother. He is a year younger then me. I read about him in a newspaper. They live in France. While I was stealing to buy a loaf of bread for myself, they were living a luxurious life in a manor in France. I have never read anything about my mother though.

I don't understand how can anyone be so heartless.

Sighing I place my head on my knees. Now that Draco is with me, I don't feel lonely any more. It's nice to have him around. He teaches magic to me and I enjoy reading his books. In fact, I had shrunk his old books and kept them in a pouch so that they stay safe.

They were basic and easy. My stomach grumbles and I hear a chuckle. My face turns red in embarrassment and I glare at the blonde.

"Let's eat something." He mutters and sits up before crossing his legs. I lick my lips and stare at him before murmuring, my eyes sad, "We don't have anything to eat Draco."

"Mrs. Marice paid me yesterday. Lets buy something." He murmurs, his eyes thoughtful.

"We must save some money. I have a few paintings I drew a few days ago. I will sell them today. Let's go out." I murmur. I paint really well. I loves painting.

"But they are yours and I don't like-" He starts and I cut him off, glaring at him, "You care so much for me. Am I not allowed to care for you at all. Besides I draw them so that I can sell them. I like selling them. I want to be a painter. I don't have enough money to purchase a big canvas otherwise-"

"Let's save some money and buy a big canvas for you then. We can eat few biscuits and bread we still have for a few days." He interrupts me.

I think about it. It's a good idea. I will get more money if I sell a big painting.

"I don't want you to suffer." I murmur quietly. He smiles at me. I stare. His smile is so optimistic that it never fails to calm me down.

"You know what we'll do. We'll sell your big painting and then have a large feast." He says and I smile at him. My heart clenches when I look at his face. He has become weak. We have less money left now and we make very little by teaching kids.

"I can make some basic potions too and can sell them. Uncle Severus taught me but I don't have a lab or apparatus to brew." He mutters sadly, "I love potion making. I want to be a potions master when I grow up."

"Instead of having a feast, we will purchase apparatus for your lab then. We'll have a feast once we have saved a lot of money." I murmur and he looks at me, his eyes amazed.

I concentrat and summon the money and food we still have and places it on Draco's bed before sitting opposite him. I summon my paintings and place them in front of him too. I sign my bname at the bottom of each painting. I put my real name there. I want people to know that I am a painter.

I summons my pouch and his books and keep it there too. These are the only things that we have.

I open my mouth to say something when I hear the front door open.

I swivels around and stare, gob-smacked as three men enter the room. I have just a single second to flee so I do what comes in my mind. I gather the things in one hands and holds Draco's shoulder with the other and closes my eyes, concentrating on the first place that comes into my mind.

The last thing I watch is their faces. The stern one looks shocked and sad. The other two are looking at us with pained eyes. Draco holds my wrist just before we vanish away.

XXXX


End file.
